Are we second Class Citizens: Rivers State Neighbourhood watch suffer’s Big Blow

Rivers State Neighbourhood watch suffer’s Big Blow by “Okazu Powers”.

Mr.  Okazu Powers gives a review about “The Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps’ and Why Must Rivers State always suffer?.

Okazu, On November 18th, 2020, The Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde held the passing out parade for the Àmòtékún Corps in Oyo State after conceiving the Idea in July, 2019 with all Governors in the South West Geopolitical Zone to set up a Regional Security Outfit with the mandate to collaborate with the Federal Security Agencies to guarantee Regional Security.

In Oyo State, They will be Drafted to the 351 wards that make up the state.

The Nigeria Police with a staff strength of 372,000 personnel do not have the operational capacity to protect over 180 Million Nigerians, So the need for the effective community policing to assist in information Gathering.

This gave rise to the establishment of Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency ( RIVNESCA) through The Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Law, Law No. 8 of 2018 which establishes the Rivers state Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency as a corporate body and vested with power to establish uniformed Neighbourhood Safety Corps in the 23 Local government Areas of the State and to prescribe regulations guiding the operations of the Safety Corps and any other Local government vigilante group in the State.

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With their mandate clearly defined as a community based Agency whose duty is to encourage and consolidate an effective security synergy between security agencies and communities, They were ready to hit the road.

On Monday 18th November, 2018, 3000 personnel with the mandate of information gathering from communities across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state and pass same to security agencies for relevant action, were recruited at the Sharks Stadium Port Harcourt.

All Relevant Security Agencies were properly briefed, approvals were given and They were even mandated to carry out the Training in a Federal Government Facility, The NYSC Orientation camp Nonwa, Tai Rivers State. What followed One morning was an invasion of the Camp by the Military stopping the Training with claims that It was an Illegal Exercise.

The Rivers State Government approached the Court seeking Legal Redress on the issue. The court upheld the Legality of the process yet the Military has vowed never to obey the Court of the Land.

In 2017, the Lagos State Government established a similar agency in Lagos called the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps in a move to solve the security problems in Lagos. This agency also created over 5,700 jobs for Lagosians.

Why Must Rivers State always suffer?.